Even with that slice of humble pie, we're still banking on this being the Capitals' year to finally make a deep playoff run, as Alex Ovechkin finally has the supporting cast (and secret playoff weapon Justin Williams) needed to get to the conference final.

Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf will be key for the Ducks as they look to make it back to the Western Conference Final, and with some additional rest thanks to their sweep over the Calgary Flames, they'll have a bit of an advantage over the Oilers.

The Predators and Blues both had relatively easy roads to this point, with both teams scoring upsets over the Blackhawks and Wild, respectively.

The Predators showed off some incredible team speed in the first round, and the Blues displayed some remarkable clutch play and physicality as they dispatched the Wild from the postseason in five games.

With both teams well designed to potentially make a deep run, we're going to go with the Predators. There is a reason a lot of pundits picked the Predators as a Stanley Cup champion before the season, and the mettle and skill they showed against the Blackhawks sealed our pick here.